Best Wine Store

33 Wine Shop & Tasting Bar

Notes from a wine sociopath, as written by 33 owner Jake Hafner (this year's Best Bartender), reprinted (without permission) from his four-year-old wine shop's fifteen-page wine/beer/cheese list:  "We have over 600 wine selections on our extended wine list.... Wines are stored at 55 degrees, according to principles taught in my first wine class."  "Riesling has long been the Rodney Dangerfield of grapes: "It gets no respect.' May you rest in peace, Rodney."  "In the left corner, wearing the slightly apple and pear cape, the contender for the crown, the master of Moscato, the sultan of sweet, the freak of frizzante, Paolo Saracco."  "When people ask me, "What do you drink?' I usually respond with, "What time of day are we talking about and what season are we in, who am I with, is Pluto aligned with anything right now and it's probably not what you think.'"  "My first wine teacher suggested everyone should have a bottle of bubbly in the fridge for an unexpected celebration. I followed his advice for many years, celebrating a promotion, a raise, and big events. It seemed to work well until I began to celebrate finding my way home sober, tying my shoes and remembering my home phone number."  "Our bar prices for bottles of wine in the store are lower than any other bar in St. Louis, our list is more extensive, we temperature-control all of our wines.... We carry only products we believe in. I even once banned someone for five years because they told the press otherwise.... We are still in business because of the retail customers that continuously purchase to-go wines from us. Thank you from the bottom of my overworked heart. Cal Ripken's streak was nothing. Four more years.... Four more years."